In most cases the domain name is the first touch with the website, and it is definitely also the last. This name is what we remember and what is associated with the website. Therefore, great care is taken to choose the right domain name. Unfortunately, most short, memorable domains are already taken. There are few general-purpose top level domains where we can try our luck, but in most cases we will find that all possible versions of our choice are already reserved.
Fortunately, no domain is reserved forever. For each registered name there is a date when it will expire. It is the responsibility of the owner to take action before the domain expires. Of course, in most cases domain owners renew the registration period before it is too late. But in some cases the name becomes available for anybody interested. The release is not immediate after the expiration date – there is still a short period (about one month long) where the original owner can extend the registration. But when this redemption period is over, the domain is lost – at least for the original owner. Such cases are an excellent opportunity for anybody interested in this name.
If you see a cool domain that will soon expire it might be worth checking if the owner will renew the registration or not. To do this you have to use WHOIS service for particular domain and check the registration data. Unfortunately, this process is pretty simple but it takes time. If there are many domains that need to be checked this would mean that a lot of time would be spent just for checking some data. Since this task could be automated there are few services that keep an eye on a list of domains. Some are offered for free but just for a limited number of domains, while other require some monthly payment.
Fortunately, there is another solution where you can have total control over any number of domains. This solution is domain monitor – an application that runs on your computer or on any other web server. Tiny Domain Monitor is a perfect tool to periodically check domain registration data. When a change occurs the domain monitor sends an email alert. It also generates RSS feed so you can track domain registration data also in your feed reader.
When the domain becomes available you will be among the first to know. All you have to do is to go to your registrar and register this domain before others will see it on some list of recently released domains.
